


Out In The Cold

by EzraTheBlue



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Developing Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Hypothermia, M/M, Not Beta Read, Poor Prompto Argentum
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-25
Updated: 2019-10-25
Packaged: 2021-01-03 00:27:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21170393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EzraTheBlue/pseuds/EzraTheBlue
Summary: Ignis thought he knew everything to know about Prompto, until he finds that he doesn't. He didn't know all the special things about Prompto that a background check would overlook, and he still wasn't sure what that cheerful, pleasant boy made him feel. However, it takes a particularly cold night for Ignis to discover the core of these emotions...





	Out In The Cold

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks as ever to my enablers - erm, cheerleaders from the Promnis Discords! Special thanks especially to Marley for spitballing this idea with me! 
> 
> I did some cursory research on hypothermia, and the premise of this fic was based on a Tumblr post about the best ways to raise core body temperature that I can no longer find, but I apologize for any medical inaccuracies. Any and all mistakes are mine.
> 
> Happy birthday to my sunshine boy. I got you a boyfriend.

**Out In The Cold**

Ignis had thought he'd known everything about Prompto before they'd met. He'd reviewed the background checks, reports from observers, all of his available documentation. He knew Prompto's height and weight for the first fifteen years of his life, he knew his favorite order at the curry takeaway half a mile from his house, he knew every route Prompto jogged in the nearby park. He knew Prompto's parents were away too often, though not why they would so readily accept being away from their only son for weeks and weeks on end. He knew Prompto's whole string of part-time jobs since he'd turned fourteen and took a stint bagging at a grocery store, until he got fired after some kids threw eggs at him while calling him a Niff. Everything worth knowing was something he thought he knew.

Until he met him and found he didn't. 

For example, he didn't know how pleasant Prompto's laugh was until he heard a peal of giggles like jingling bells, discordant yet jubilant. He didn't know how rosy Prompto's cheeks were when he was happy, how even his freckles glowed when he blushed. He didn't know how good of a shot Prompto was, topping Noctis' score in every shooter Noctis owned. He didn't know how Prompto's simple, straightforward encouragement could make Noctis smile, albeit reluctantly, when his back was seizing in pangs or when he felt burdened by the expectations put on him as a prince. He didn't know that Prompto would help set the table and wash the dishes.

"It's no big, Iggy," Prompto said the first time as he gathered up the plates and took up the sponge. "You made such an awesome dinner! It's the least I can do!"

Ignis didn't know how that simple gesture of reciprocity, unasked-for, unexpected, and unnecessary, would make his heart flutter. Ignis was all too familiar with those who would simper and cajole to wheedle their way close to nobility and wealth in order to take advantage, and Ignis was loathe to admit he had briefly suspected Prompto to be such a grifter. He'd almost anticipated finding solid proof of Prompto's selfish intentions and pushing him out of Noctis' life, out into the cold. 

However, Prompto never asked for anything more than what was offered and was genuinely grateful for everything he received. He was warm and kind, sunny and optimistic, and always encouraged Noctis or anyone he talked to. His simple gesture of helping Ignis when he could, of taking time to make cheerful conversation with Ignis, of inviting Ignis to sit with them, convinced Ignis that perhaps he really was just a nice boy who wanted to have friends.

It was after this realization that Ignis felt immensely guilty for ever thinking otherwise. After all, he'd seen the background report. His parents were with him less than two weeks out of the year, by the most generous estimates. His list of "other known associations" (or, for a fifteen year old boy, ''friendships") was blank.

Ignis stopped looking too closely at Prompto's background and instead at what was in front of him. His coat was a little threadbare. His shoes were worn down. His shirts were always slightly wrinkled, and his uniform tie was often askew. He was still the sweetest, brightest, most cheerful thing that crossed Ignis' path on a regular basis, and he always made time to chat Ignis up. To ask about his day. To commiserate about having so much to do and not nearly enough time to do it. They had more in common than first met the eye:

"I gotta help Noct with this chem test." He rolled his eyes hard. "Can you imagine, having a chem test on a Friday? And meanwhile Noct has that event on Saturday." Prompto groaned as he looked over his syllabus. "He's been working on that speech he has to give for that homeless shelter or sleeping in like half of his classes!"

"Indeed." Ignis was looking over that selfsame speech, correcting Noctis' grammar and adjusting his verb tenses. "Some of this looks like it was written while he was asleep."

Prompto cackled. "He always says those speeches are a snore, anyway!" He took a few notebooks from his satchel. "He's lucky I'm a wiz at organic chem. I'll study him up. I know he needs to get good grades."

Ignis paused, taking note of the determination in his eyes. "You're good at the sciences, are you?"

"Yeah, like, it clicks for me. I don't love science, but I'll do it for Noct, y'know? He's important." Prompto smiled fondly, wistfully, and Ignis found himself gazing into a mirror. Ignis' loyalty came from duty as much as love, but for Prompto, the love clearly came first and was just as strong as Ignis' own affection for the Prince.

Prompto deserved something in return. He'd never asked, but it was deserved.

"What's truly unfair is that you must take a test on your birthday." Ignis made a few more marks in Noctis' speech in red pen, and Prompto made an odd choking noise.

"You know my birthday?!"

Ignis looking up, blinking back surprise. "I do, yes. I did have to investigate you before you were allowed open access to Noctis."

"Oh. Oh, man." He dropped to a whisper, twisting his hands around each other. "I hope you didn't see anything… Bad, y'know? I try to be a good kid…"

"Believe me, if we'd found anything objectionable, you wouldn't be here," Ignis replied without thinking, and only when Prompto drooped did he realize how those words could have been taken. He lifted his eyes to see Prompto wilting like a neglected daisy. "Prompto, I am confirming that you are, in fact, a good kid, and Noctis is fortunate to have such a good friend as you." He put Noctis' papers aside. "This was, in fact, my roundabout way of asking what we could do for your birthday. Do you have plans with your family?"

"They're out of town," Prompto murmured, still looking stiff and uncomfortable. A little chill ran through him. "I, um, actually have to work my part time job tomorrow night."

"That sucks," Noctis chimed in as he emerged from his room, dressed in pajama pants and a tee shirt. "Didn't you ask off?"

"Mm, yeah, but the guy who was supposed to work tomorrow night called me and said he couldn't work tomorrow night so I needed to take his shift." Prompto scrunched his whole nose up. "I'll just celebrate on Saturday."

"Fantastic." Ignis smiled wryly. "I'll make your favorite curry, and perhaps a cake."

Prompto's cheeks pinked. "You don't have-"

"He wants to, Prompto." Noctis punched his shoulder. "Hell, I want to. You want me to order your favorite curry instead?"

"N-no. Um. If you don't mind the trouble, Iggy's curry is way better." Prompto smiled sheepishly, and Ignis' entire chest felt warm.

Ignis never knew a simple boy could make him feel such a swath of complex emotions, and yet here he stood, heart swirling with fondness and affection and care, things that he'd felt for Noctis out of loyalty, out of hope for molding a brighter future, out of care for a boy thirsty for affection. Prompto was only the last, but he filled Ignis with want in return. Ignis couldn't name the longing he felt, but he dearly wished he could indulge it, if only so he could know what name he could call it. 

* * *

The wind blew ferociously into the car's back seat until Noctis yanked the door shut to block it out. He shivered like a pole struck with a rod, and Ignis passed him a spare scarf. "Here, warm your face."

"Thanks, Specs." Noctis wrapped the scarf three times around his face, then mumbled through it, "It got freaky cold today."

"Indeed. They're calling for an out-of-season snowstorm tonight." Ignis turned his lights on as he pulled out of the school pickup loop and under a foreboding grey sky. "I imagine it's still a touch warm to remain snow when it reaches the ground, but only just. It'll be a miserable night." He looked both ways as he made the turn, then glanced sideways at Noct and smiled, crooked and teasing. "Perfect weather to stay in and revise your speech, since you won't have to worry about corrupting your progress if the power goes out."

Noctis moaned again as the wind howled against the side wall of the car. "That sounds like a miserable night, too!"

Noctis settled in to perfect his speech for the shelter for teenage runaways, and Ignis sat with him to offer what help and suggestions he could. However, Ignis spotted Noctis texting Prompto whenever he took his eyes off of him for even a moment, at every distraction Ignis had. Ignis did find himself distracted enough, such as when he got a new email or a reminder alert, or every time Ignis peered out the apartment window to see the trees whipping around or a chilly rain starting to fall, then escalating to a pour, then mixing in sleet. Miserable indeed. However, Ignis caught onto something important as the evening wore on:

"Prompto hasn't texted you back the once, has he?" 

Noctis groaned, and Ignis knew he'd hit the nail on the head. Noctis' phone hadn't buzzed in return once, not a blink of an alert. "He must be on shift already." Noctis shoved his phone across the table. "Fine, fine, I'll finish this, if only so I can get some game time in before the power gets wiped out."

"Good lad." Ignis patted Noctis' shoulder and stood. "While you're focused, I'll start on dinner." 

He went to the drawer to gather ingredients. The jar of curry paste caught his eye, and a smile touched his lips as he thought of the warmth of Prompto's happiness when he got to serve him curry the next night. However, he instead retrieved a spaghetti squash from the drawer. He set it on the board and brought out a butcher knife to process it. Noctis glanced up at Ignis, and wrinkled his nose.

"What's that thing?"

"Spaghetti squash!" Ignis knew his enthusiasm would be a mistake, but he couldn't help himself. "Gourds are in season this time of year, and I had thought I could serve it with a ground anak ragu."

"Spaghetti squash," Noctis repeated, and Ignis heard him tapping his phone screen. "So. You're going to use that squash. Instead of spaghetti."

"Excellent deduction." Ignis carved off both ends, and Noctis audibly snorted.

"Sure you are." Ignis heard a few clicks of Noctis' phone, then the resumed scratch of Noctis' pen on the paper. 

Ignis put the squash in to bake and began to build the ragu, but just as the sauce was finishing, there was a knock on the door. Ignis frowned. "Were we expecting Gladiolus tonight?"

"Nah, when he found out we weren't doing Prompto's birthday he said he was gonna take Iris to get her Halloween costume and maybe to the movies after." Noctis got up. "But I'm not eating squash even if you call it spaghetti so I ordered a meat-lover's pizza."

"Noct!" Ignis groaned. "First off, sit down! There's a security risk whenever a stranger calls!" Noctis grumbled and sat back down. "You are not eating pizza, you need vegetables, so I will turn this delivery away after compensating the poor delivery man. I can't even imagine who would be delivering pizzas in weather like this!"

Ignis threw the door open, and there stood Prompto holding a steaming pizza warmer box and shivering fit to freeze. "Triple Triad P-p-pizza, o-one meat love-"

"Prompto!" Ignis gasped, and Prompto blinked a few times, then actually processed what he was seeing. 

"Oh, h-hey! Th-thought I recognized the address." Noctis crept up behind Ignis, wide-eyed.

"_Six_, Prompto."

"Umm." Prompto swayed a little as he dug slowly, clumsily in his fanny pack for a receipt, as Ignis took the rest of him in. His visor, jacket - open to boast the playing card logo of the pizza chain, _ of course _ \- thin tee-shirt, denims, everything down to his shoes was sopping wet, and he was shivering viciously in the apartment hallway. His face was moon-pale except the bright red of his wet eyes and nose. He slowly lifted a receipt from his pouch and squinted at it, like the letters were swimming on the page and he couldn't make them hold still. "M-meat lovers for Noct Gar, huh?"

"Damn the pizza!" Ignis yanked Prompto in by his sleeve, and found the skin underneath was ice cold. "Six almighty, Prompto, what were you thinking?!"

"Um…" Prompto was still swaying on his feet as Ignis dragged him in and took his pulse - dreadfully slow. Noctis put the pizza in its box out of the way and ran back to his bedroom.

"Ignis, I'm getting him clothes."

"Sweatpants and a sweater, thank you." Ignis returned his attention to Prompto, rueing that he hadn't noticed Prompto's new job on his dossier. "Why are you delivering pizzas? You can't drive, can you?"

"Got a bike," Prompto mumbled, and Ignis winced then began to peel his soaked clothes off. "I guess the other guy saw the weather report and called out, but someone needed to deliver the pizzas." Prompto sniffled, shivering harder as the warmth of the apartment began to seep into his bones, and Ignis hurriedly, unceremoniously undressed Prompto to his pants just to get the cold clothing off of him. 

"We have to get you warmed up. You're in the second stage of hypothermia. How long were you out in that?"

Prompto put up a token struggle as Ignis motioned for him to strip down, before working his own legs out of his sopping denims. "F-four hours? Yeah." 

"For goodness' sake." Ignis took in Prompto's narrow chest and freckled shoulders, the skin nearly milk-white under the patches of cinnamon freckles, and his whole form trembled as his body desperately tried to warm up. Noctis returned with a sweater and sweatpants, and Prompto pulled the sweater on over his head. "Please go put the pants on. Leave your wet things where they fall. May I have your phone?"

Prompto mumbled an incoherent assent and handed Ignis his phone, then shuffled off to the bathroom. Ignis sighed and placed a call to the direct number Prompto had to his manager.

_ "Pronto? Somethin' up with that Gar order? The guy usually tips good, so if you-" _

"His name is Prompto, and he showed up at my door half-frozen." There was silence on the other end of the line, and Ignis sighed. "Whatever meager tips he would have earned won't be worth him dying in the cold. He will not be returning to your establishment tonight. He will provide a doctor's note for his hypothermia in the morning." Ignis paused. "How could you send him out there in this weather?"

There was another beat of silence, then the manager muttered, _ "I thought Niffs liked the cold." _

Ignis hung up and thrust the phone as far from his face as he could, stifling the urge to yell down the receiver. Noctis looked on, shaking slightly for something other than the cold.

"He really sent Prompto out to freeze on his birthday." Noctis shook his head. 

Prompto toddled out of the bathroom right then, thin frame swimming in Noctis' borrowed clothes. "M'sorry for the trouble."

"No trouble at all." Ignis put Prompto's phone down and summoned all of the wealth of care in his breast for Prompto. "I've told your employer you're ill and unable to return."

Prompto visibly wilted again, like a daisy in the snow. "But… I need the money…" He rubbed at his eyes. "Mom 'n' Dad keep forgetting… price of food's gone up…"

Ignis' stomach sank, and he turned to Noctis, only to see determined fury in his face. "Don't worry about that right now, okay?" Noctis told him, sounding more like a Prince than his rehearsed speech ever would. "I've got you." 

"We've got you," Ignis corrected and concurred. "All you need to worry about is warming up." Ignis turned the oven off and put the kettle on. "We'll make you some cocoa and feed you something warm and I assure you, for however long we should know one another, you will never want."

Prompto's lower lip wiggled, but Noctis pushed his back. "You heard the guy. Let's warm you up. I'm covering you in like six blankets."

Ignis prepared cocoa and three bowls of spaghetti squash with meat sauce and joined Noctis and Prompto on the sofa. He was loathe to eat a meal away from the table, but Noctis had piled every blanket in the house onto Prompto, leaving him an immobile lump on the sofa. His skin was starting to flush red, almost too red, and Ignis put a knee on the sofa beside him and touched his forehead.

"Are you feeling any warmer?" 

Prompto didn't respond, lower lip wiggling, and Ignis felt him trembling. Ignis frowned. "Give me your hand." 

Prompto worked a hand loose of the blanket cocoon and let Ignis touch it, and Ignis startled at the chill. His hand was still icy. "Your core temperature is too low. I'll have to do this more directly." He stood. "Move the blankets."

Noctis startled as Ignis began to unbutton his shirt. "What are you doing?!"

"I'm going to give him skin-to-skin contact. I'll use my body heat to raise his. I'd ask you to do it, but I run warmer than you do." He motioned to Prompto to part the blankets. "I'm sorry, this is the fastest way I can think of to warm you up." 

Prompto trembled, then nervously moved the blankets aside. "Do I have to-"

"Take your sweater off for the moment. I'm sorry, again, but-"

"It's okay." He slowly pulled the sweater off over his head, and shifted the blankets aside. "If it'll help…"

"Of course." Ignis took in Prompto's face for a moment, his open, fraught expression, gaze tremulous and mouth taut. "I believe chest to chest will be best. Let me sit beside you and we'll adjust."

He sat beside Prompto, then took his shoulder and gently turned him towards him, their bare chests touching. Prompto drew back. "Is it okay?" Prompto whispered, voice warbling in his throat. "That I'm… this?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Ignis shook his head and wrapped his arms around Prompto around the waist. His chest was frigid, the muscles all drawn tight and his heartbeat still so slow in his breast. Ignis pressed his own chest to Prompto and drew one of the blankets around the both of them. "You're alright. You're going to be alright." Prompto slotted his chin against Ignis' shoulder, chest shuddering with something like a sob. Ignis rubbed his palm down Prompto's back, as the realization hit that Prompto had been through a frightful experience. Noctis sat on Prompto's other shoulder and put his palm on his shoulder, and caught Ignis' eye.

"Is it helping?"

"M'warm," Prompto mumbled. "It's good."

Ignis smiled and rubbed Prompto's back again, smoothing his palm down his spine a few times. "I'll warm you up for as long as you need it, want it, or should remotely desire it."

Prompto didn't respond, but buried himself deeper into Ignis' chest. Ignis pulled the blankets tighter around the pair of them. Prompto held tight to Ignis, as close as two people could be, and against Ignis' higher mores, his own heart fluttered as their chests aligned in the long, life-giving embrace.

When Prompto warmed enough to stop shivering when he did draw away from Ignis, Ignis kept the blankets around the pair of them as Prompto ate some of the meal and drank his cocoa (after Noctis reheated it). Ignis noticed some of the scars on his chest and arms before he pulled the sweater back on, and while he had questions, he had many more concerns. 

Prompto was kind, gentle, good-hearted, and so determined. Ignis wasn't sure if anyone had ever been that for Prompto in return, if his open heart was his way to welcome someone to be a good to him as he was to everyone else. 

Prompto fell asleep when his cocoa cup was empty. Noctis hadn't moved from his side, hadn't been out of some form of physical contact with him since he'd settled in. He didn't look away from Prompto as he slumped in on himself. "Specs," he whispered. "This never happens again."

"Never," Ignis agreed, and eased Prompto's slumping head against his shoulder. "He will never be left out in the cold." 

Prompto mumbled softly, voice still wobbly and tense, and Ignis wound an arm around his waist, unbidden. "M'sorry… not a bother…"

"Never," Ignis repeated, wishing there was a way he could drive it into his brain to convince him, so that he would know that Ignis and Noctis would never consider him a bother.

That Prompto could know of the ineffable emotions that rose through him whenever he thought of him, and Ignis wouldn't have to explain. It wasn't pity, it wasn't embarrassment that Noctis had a friend like him, only that Prompto made him feel so very warm.

Ignis wanted him to feel that in return.

* * *

Prompto had a doctor's note in the morning (after a house call from Noctis' personal doctor who checked his frostbitten fingers) and a new jacket the next afternoon. The doctor's note kept him from being fired. The jacket was thick and fluffy with down, so Prompto wouldn't get cold no matter how low the mercury dropped. 

"It seems unfair that the pizza has a warming box and you don't." Ignis tested the fit of the jacket around Prompto's neck. "I don't care about your regulations, when it's raining and bitterly cold, you zip the jacket so you can keep toasty warm." 

"Okay." Prompto bit his lip. "But…"

"Don't worry about paying me back. The cost of the jacket is miniscule compared to the toll taken on my heart seeing you nearly frozen to death." Ignis melodramatically clutched at his heart, giving Prompto a teasing little smirk. "I shan't survive another such encounter." 

Prompto looked plainly guilty. "Sorry about that-"

"Don't apologize." Ignis heaved a sigh. "Let's simply never repeat it."

"I want free pizza forever, though." Noctis had been in the kitchen stirring the curry while Ignis fitted Prompto's jacket. "Tell the bossman the prince wants free pizza for traumatizing him and almost killing his best friend."

"Noct!" Prompto moaned, and began to work his way out of the jacket. "I love the jacket, I'm nice and toasty now, see?" He folded the jacket and patted his rosy cheeks, beaming. "And thank you again for last night. Especially. You know." His cheeks went from rosy into dull red, cheer to embarrassment. "The, um, hug."

"It truly was just an effort to raise your body temperature." Ignis cleared his throat. "However, should you ever find yourself in need of a hug, please know my arms are open to you."

Prompto went rigid in place, face aflame, and Ignis furrowed his brow in worry. "Like… you mean that? Are you sure you mean that?"

"I do." Ignis let his arms hang loose at his sides, and schooled his features, calm, cool, and welcoming. 

"You don't seem like the hug type." Prompto bit his lip, and Ignis let loose a gentle laugh.

"There's a great deal you don't know about me yet. If you'd like to find out, you need only ask."

Prompto shrugged his shoulders to loosen them, then rushed into his arms and threw his arms around his waist. Ignis caught him, chuckling. "There you are." Prompto bashfully lifted his face to meet his eyes, then buried his nose in Ignis' chest. 

"Thank you, Iggy." He spoke a little louder. "Thank you too, Noct."

Noctis kept stirring. "You don't have to hug me." 

Prompto chuckled softly, face warm against Ignis' breast, and Ignis wrapped his arms tighter around him. Ignis' heart was warm on the inside, and Prompto felt even warmer against him. 

There was a lot about Prompto that Ignis didn't know yet, and vice versa. However, Ignis wanted to know. For now, it was enough to know that Prompto liked his green curry and strawberry shortcake, and that Ignis would strive to celebrate his birthday with him every year from now until there were no more celebrations to be had, and that Prompto was a champion hugger. 

Ignis would work out the rest later.


End file.
